Remembrances of Flames
by RubyNightsGavlyn
Summary: And when the young man's flame flickered out prematurely, all he had left were the remembrances of a past life to keep another flame burning brightly. [Semi SI/OC]
1. Chapter I

**Disclaimer:** The only things that I own is this story's plot and any OCs that appear throughout the story. The characters of _Naruto _belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I make absolutely no money.

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**Remembrances**** of Flames - Chapter One**

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In a distant universe, there lived a young man who was not a day over twenty-five. He was a simple man, one people would quickly pass on the streets, driven away by his scowl and furrowed brows but loved deeply by his family.

He wasn't overly intelligent or talented and preferred to work in his family's restaurant, cooking meals and baking treats and seeing the pleased expressions his creations could put on others' faces.

He was a simple young man who had the misfortune of being in the right place at the wrong time.

He stayed back in the restaurant late, preparing and creating new ideas to test the next day for work. A sharp sound of glass breaking alerted him and soft scuffling had him slowly creeping towards the front of the building. The lights flickered on with a slight movement of his finger and a mask-covered head snapped up towards him, a pistol raised and aimed at his tensed form.

His mouth opened, a shot rung out in the silence and his body clattered to the floor with a crump and, as his vision blurred, the young man named Ike could only weakly drag his body a few centimeters away, in a futile hope of escaping the darkness that consumed him.

_But, you can't escape death, can you?_

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**.**

* * *

On the twentieth day of March, when cold winter snows turned into warm spring showers, an infant was born behind the walls and underneath the leaves of Konohagakure. The parents of the child were members of the Uchiha, a founding family of the village hidden by leaves and one of its four noble clans.

The small boy was born to Nene, a jōnin-turned-housewife, and Shinobu, an officer of the Military Police Force, and they named him _Jun_ because he was pure from the horrors of the world and, with his mother's chestnut hair and his father's ebony eyes, it was a wonder how something so _untainted_ could be born from such blood-covered hands.

He didn't cry as often as normal babies and, while a little odd, his father took it as a sign of early discipline for the arts of battle, deeming him suited for a path made for the mighty. His mother, however, knew her son would grow to be a kind and gentle individual, a soul that would seem misplaced among their family's prideful ways and it was something she both welcomed and pitied all at once.

_[[Don't worry, Jun... I'll keep you safe...]]_

The parents of Jun Uchiha looked on proudly as their infant son cracked his first tiny smile but they were ignorant to the voice of the dead young man that whispered gentle words into their son's mind.

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**.**

* * *

For the past twelve months, Ike played the role of sentinel to the boy named Jun, watching with an intangible quirk of lips as the boy slowly learned to crawl and scoot and babble and smile and cling to things like normal children and Ike had high hopes that Jun would grow to become a productive member of society.

_[[Put that toy in your mouth, Jun.]]_

Jun clapped his pudgy hands together happily, bouncing on his bottom before scooting his body to the suspiciously shaped rubber toy. Ike was appalled that people _actually_ encouraged their babies to place such oddly shaped things into their mouths but then he remembered that poor Jun had been born in a world where demons and illusions and sharp, pointy things were the norm.

Ike wasn't an idiot and he wasn't in denial and he _knew_ what place he'd been dumped into and he couldn't help but wonder if some deity hated him _and_ his little carrier for putting them in a family destined to _burn to the ground_.

_[[That's right, Jun. Bite the hel- er, crap out of that kunai.]]_ Ike chuckled softly in amusement as the young boy gummed the rubber toy roughly, making adorable growling sounds in the process.

Ike had died once and had been in the darkness and he _refused_ to let Jun suffer the fate the gods had set out for him.

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**.**

* * *

"Auntie Nene!"

From inside his playpen and seated against his fluffy pillows, Jun watched as his mother and father greeted two people he'd never seen before. One was big and one was little and they both had dark curly hair that he wanted to dig his fingers into and _pull_ and _play_ with.

_[[I don't think they'd like that, Jun.]]_ Ike's familiar baritone said and the one year old pursed his lips at the words as he scooted closer to the barrier separating him and the new people.

"Is this your son, Shinobu?" The tall one asked and Jun had to crane his head back to look at the person's face. "He looks like a promising one."

_[[Thank him for the compliment, Jun.]]_ And so he did, with clapping hands and bouncing legs and bright laughter.

His father nodded shortly, arms crossed over his powerful chest and mouth pulled into a deep frown. "Yes, I plan on starting his studies early."

_[[Stop laughing, Jun. You're not happy about that.]] _And so he did, his bright smile falling instantly and his chubby hands clutching his shirt and his mouth fixed into a teary pout.

The curly-haired teen grinned cheekily as he leaned over the playpen's gates. "Haha, guess he's old enough to know that training _sucks_!"

"Shisui." The tall curly-haired man snapped, causing the little one's expression to fall.

_[[Shisui? That's Shisui?]]_ Ike sounded contemplative and Jun squinted his eyes at the little one curiously. Jun was slightly afraid of the big one because of his stature and his mean frown but the little one was short enough to play with and looked nice enough and, if he stretched far enough, his nice wavy hair was just...about...in...

"_OW!_ My _nose_!"

Well, his pretty hair _was_ in reach, if only he hadn't tilted his head back. Jun's lips turned into a firm pout and he squeezed and tugged the little one's nose in revenge. That'd show him for moving the pretty hair out of the way!

"_OW! 'TOP!" _The little one, Shishi or whatever Ike called him, cried out as the adults looked on in varying degrees of mirth.

_[[Well, maybe, we're helping him. At least now his nose won't be so big now.]]_

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**.**

* * *

Ike liked Jun's mother, Nene.

She was a sweet woman with gentle eyes and a kind smile and she reminded Ike _painfully_ of his own mother. He wished he could go back in time and tell his mother how he loved her and how thankful for her he was and he just wanted to place his head on her shoulder and _weep_ until he had no more tears in his being to cry.

But he couldn't.

_[[Go hug your mother, Jun.]]_

The young boy smiled happily at the thought of being in his mother's arms and the one year old half-crawled, half-stepped to his mother's side in the kitchen. He tugged on her dress for attention and, when he had it, raised his arms in the air.

Nene laughed at her little boy, bending down and taking him into her arms. "Oh, my little boy wanted a hug from Mommy?"

Jun responded by pressing his face into her neck, breathing in her scent of vanilla and almonds and, even though Ike didn't have his own body, he could _still_ smell Nene's scent and it was like _his_ mother's and it made the urge to cry so very strong.

But...he couldn't.

So, instead, he told Jun to hug his mother with all his might and to tell her that he loved her like no one else in the world and Ike let a harsh noise leave his nonexistent body because _hemissedhismothersomuchandwantedtobewithhersobad_ but he _couldn't_ and it made the wound on his soul grow ever larger.

_[[Love your mother, Jun. Never, ever take her for granted.]]_

And Jun cried because he could _feel_ the anguish that Ike was feeling and knew that his ever-present friend couldn't shed tears of his own.

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**.**

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The day the Kyūbi struck Konoha started normally.

Nene was in the kitchen cooking and cleaning, Shinobu was filling out reports for work and Shisui happened to be over for a visit so he was busy defending his hair and nose from Jun's grabby little hands.

Before the chaos even started, the creature's dark, oppressive chakra weighted down on the entire village. All in the household tensed and Jun couldn't even _scream _or _cry_. He watched in both terror and amazement as his parents' and Shisui's eyes bled into red and Kyūbi's hold on them broke.

Sirens sounded in the distance and all Uchiha jumped into action. Nene crouched in front of Jun, staring deeply into his eyes with spinning red orbs and Jun found the strength to move beneath the dark chakra. When she was through, she and Shinobu shared a quick nod, with the man disappearing in a swirl of leaves and Nene quickly guiding the two kids from the house.

The ground shook beneath them as tremors from the battle coursed through the village and Jun covered his ears as yells and screams and _roars_ hurt his ears.

"Shisui."

The curly-haired teen's head snapped up to his auntie's grim tone, knowing that if the usually amiable woman's voice took such a turn, he'd better listen. "Yes, Auntie Nene?"

She placed her whimpering son's form in his hold, using her hands to wrap his arms around Jun's body. "Shisui, I have to go help." She acquiesced with a bitter smile. "I want, no, I _need_ you to protect Jun while I'm gone. I'm _trusting _you to keep my baby safe."

Shisui stared at her with wide eyes before nodding resolutely, his crimson eyes narrowing in determination as his grip around Jun tightened. "You have nothing to worry about, Aunt Nene. I'll keep Jun safe no matter what."

Nene stared for a moment longer before she flickered out of sight. Shisui gave Jun's back a reassuring rub as he formed the one-handed seal for Body Flicker. He ended up right in the middle of the evacuation path, his legs taking brisk steps towards the shelters. The teen's eyes widened as he caught sight of nine flailing, orange tails and his Sharingan eyes burned ever brighter.

"Kyūbi..." He whispered out in alarm, his legs threatening to freeze in terror because he'd _never_ seen anything like it.

Jun's soft whimpers and sobs made him look down at Jun's chubby, tear-streaked face and Shisui found the power to keep moving forward. Jun's tiny hands fisted his shirt and the small boy whined over the yelling and fighting.

"Shishi, where Mommy!? Where Daddy?! 'm_ scared_!" The boy sobbed out and Shisui gently pressed his face into his shoulder.

His lips hovered near the boy's ear and he whispered, "Don't you worry, Jun! Shisui will protect you! I _will_ protect you...!"

And both Ike and Jun believed him without question.

* * *

**.**

* * *

Ike couldn't claim to know the customs of the Uchiha clan but he knew could see why they produced so many splendid shinobi.

Jun's father had followed through on his plans of starting his son's training early, giving the young boy books and scrolls about the clan's history, simple jutsu and teaching him the basic kata for the Uchiha's fighting style.

Shinobu was strict and didn't tolerate failure and Ike knew it was because he wanted his son to grow up strong and worthy of his name but he also knew that Shinobu wanted him to _live_ and _survive _more than anything.

Jun showed flighty, timid tendencies when it came to studies so Ike absorbed all the information for the young boy and hoped, that in him doing so, it wouldn't come back to bite them in the ass. But, Ike figured if Jun could be the physical, then he could help with the spiritual.

"Focus, Jun." His father's voice rumbled lowly, making the small boy's shoulders shake.

Jun had only just turned two and still-developing coils meant chakra molding was out but meditation was safe and could be easily done.

_[[Just relax, Jun.]]_

And Jun did because Ike told him to. His dark eyes closed, his breathing leveled and Jun allowed himself to be _calm_ and to _feel_ the things around him. In the darkness behind his lids, if he concentrated hard enough, he could see a small, flickering light and he knew exactly who it was.

_'Ike...'_

_[[Yes, Jun?]]_

_'I t'ink I can see you.'_

The flickering grew a little brighter and Jun let a tiny smile cross over his face.

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**A/N:** This is just a little side something to keep my writing juices flowing for my other story. The idea and style was based off _Rising Sun (__朝日__) _by Petrichor in May because I thought the idea was unique and I really like her story. This chapter seems kinda angsty to me but he _is _a part of the Uchiha clan so it's a given.

Oh, I have a request for everyone who reads this. I'm really interested in what pairing everyone would like so if you'd drop a name of a character and the manner of their relationship in the review section, that would make me really happy.

An example would be like... OverlyProtective!Shisui/Jun or something like that. I can be detailed or short and it doesn't even have to be romantic :)


	2. Chapter II

**Disclaimer:** The only things that I own is this story's plot and any OCs that appear throughout the story. The characters of _Naruto _belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I make absolutely no money.

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**Remembrances**** of Flames - Chapter Two**

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Ike missed the kitchen.

He missed the different foods, the different spices, the different combinations he could create and he missed the heat of the stove and oven and he missed the smiles and pleased looks he could put on others' faces. He missed the smile of his mother, the deep baritone of his father, the laughter of his brother.

He missed the warmth of _home_ and he longed to remember the good times he held in that place.

He was selfish and Jun was kind, just like Nene had said, and the young boy lingered in the kitchen by his mother's side for long periods of time for his perpetual friend. Jun didn't like studying very much, didn't like fighting much so if he missed a few hours of studies while his father was away, he didn't mind much.

"Shouldn't you be meditating, Jun?" Nene asked softly as she prepared dinner, something with noodles and a kind of fried patty.

The three year old made a tiny, guilty noise. "Y-yes?"

Nene's face contorted into gentle rebuking and Jun ducked his head down, feeling properly scolded even though Nene hadn't said anything. Feeling a weight on his head, he looked up to see his mother's smiling face and he cracked a small one of his own when he realized she wasn't angry.

"You really should be meditating, Jun. Don't you want to become a strong ninja one day?" She asked, patting his head.

_[[Not really.]]_ Ike muttered and Jun shrugged his shoulders slightly, timidly looking back down to the floor, frightened to tell the truth of how he didn't want to be a ninja because he remembered the night when the ground trembled and Shishi's eyes burned brighter than ever.

He remembered the fear and horror and the dark aura in the air and it _still_ made his body freeze and Jun knew that if he became a ninja it would be his _duty_ to stave off such terrifying things and he didn't want that!

_[[It's okay not to want that, Jun. I don't want that for you, either.]]_ Ike said reassuringly and Jun felt a little better because Ike agreed with him.

Nene smiled at her son's silence, knowing exactly the worries going through his head, and she went back to preparing dinner. "It's okay to tell Mommy, Jun. It's okay to tell Mommy that you're afraid because, once upon a time, _Mommy_ was afraid too."

"_What_!? Mommy was scared!?" He gasped because his mommy was never afraid, just like how his daddy was never afraid.

She laughed, "Yes, Mommy was afraid. Do you know who _else_ was afraid?"

He shook his head, eyes big and wide and Nene laughed a bit more before answering, "Your cousin Shisui was afraid a long time ago, too."

"WHAT!?" Jun yelled because that _couldn't _be true. "Shishi was scared!?"

Nene nodded, a smile still playing on her lips as she inwardly laughed at Jun's nickname for Shisui. "We were scared for a long time and we're still scared, even now."

"But I can push the fear away when I know that I'm fighting to protect my loved ones." Nene's face sobered. "I get scared because I'm afraid that I won't be able to keep you safe."

"Both Shisui and I had to find something _so_ important to us, that the fear we felt couldn't keep a hold on us." Her face brightened into his normal amiable expression. "You'll have to find something worth fighting for, Jun."

Jun nodded slowly, not exactly understanding his mother's words but happy to know that he wasn't the only one afraid of being a ninja and that he wasn't in trouble.

"But that doesn't give you an excuse to skip meditation, young man." She wagged a stern finger at him. "Start your meditation."

Jun smiled sheepishly before padding into the living room next to the kitchen, where he seated himself and quickly fell into that calm state, that place where he could see Ike's flickering form and he let himself be surrounded by the smell of his mother's cooking and Ike's low murmurings.

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**.**

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At four years old, it was evident that Jun wasn't going to be a shinobi in the front lines. His taijutsu and agility were slightly below-average and he wasn't built for power but, when he was first introduced to chakra molding and leaf sticking, his talent for it shined through. With enough training, Nene and Shinobu knew that Jun could easily master many difficult ninjutsu and genjutsu techniques, things the Uchiha were famous for.

Shinobu focused mainly on taijutsu and kenjutsu and, while he had the Sharingan, his ninjutsu and genjutsu were limited. Nene, on the other hand, was more of a ranged fighter, controlling illusions like a second nature with her crimson eyes and spewing streams of flames, and would be a good person to train her dearest Jun but she had other plans in mind.

Preparing a bento of her nephew's favorite food and taking Jun's small hand in hers, she set off to locate the one known as Shisui of the Body Flicker.

He was where she knew he was, diligently training with his tantō and signature jutsu, moving back and forth without detection and Nene couldn't help but smile at how far her nephew had come.

"Shishi!" Jun called out brightly, his arm waving to get the teen's attention.

"Muh?" Shisui's movements ceased as he looked behind him and a large, boyish grin broke out on his face as he caught sight of Jun's form running towards him with outstretched arms. "Jun!" He chuckled as the child rammed into his legs and hugged his waist tightly. "What are you doing here?" He looked up, seeing another form approaching. "And Auntie Nene?"

Nene smiled kindly, holding out the bento to the teen. "We just came to visit you, that's all. Is that not allowed?"

He took the gift with a sheepish smile and scratched his curly locks. "Well, _no_, there's nothing _wrong_ with it but..." He gave Jun's spiky hair a rustle and opened the box of food, his dark eyes lighting up at the contents. "I mean, why _wouldn't_ I want good food and a visit from my favorite little cousin?" He paused and his eyebrows furrowed. "What do you want, Auntie Nene?"

She snorted and a smirk appeared on her face. "I want you to help me train Jun." At his blank expression, Nene sighed. "Jun shows a natural aptitude with chakra control and we've decided he'd be a perfect support unit."

Shisui blinked. "Okay but why do you need _me_?"

"He's a lot like the both of us." Nene stated and Shisui's eyes glinted with understanding. "Shinobu means well but he wouldn't be able to push Jun in the right direction like _we_ can."

The teen chuckled at that, his eyes closing and his head shaking. "Like a little shadow, huh?" His eyes opened and he smiled. "Well, I won't always be available but I'll help when I can, Auntie Nene."

The woman nodded. "And that's all we can ask from you." She grinned at her son. "What do you say to that, Jun?"

"Thank you for helping me, Shishi!" He chirped happily, squeezing Shisui's waist a bit tighter as he looked at him with glittering eyes. "I won't let you down so I'm in your care!"

Shisui gulped and his cheeks flushed, his little cousin's adorable visage too much for even him. He planted a hand on the child's face, blocking the large puppy-like eyes and breathing a sigh of relief as Jun squawked in indignation. "Ugh, we should find a way to make his cute face into a weapon. It's like an overload of sugar or something."

Ike and Nene snickered at his words because they knew it was true.

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**.**

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The first time Jun met Itachi and Sasuke, he was five years old and nearing his entrance into the Academy and Shisui had taken him out for a day of training near the river.

His taijutsu was still lacking, his shurikenjutsu was average but his speed had become a bit better, however, it was his chakra control that had really advanced in the short span of time. The leaf sticking had become too easy for him to accomplish and no longer provided enough of a challenge or strain on his reserves. Shisui and his mother started him on the tree climbing exercise, where he could usually get about four to five steps up a tree before tiring out.

Shisui grinned lightly as he watched Jun splay out on the ground, panting and sweating. "You did good today, Jun. You're really improving."

The young boy smiled tiredly as he stared at the evening sky. "I'm glad, Shishi. If I get even better, will you teach me the trick you do so well?"

"You mean the Body Flicker?" He asked as he picked up a few practice kunai strewn about. At Jun's noise of affirmation, he chuckled a little at the thought of it. "Maybe I will. It'll be pretty cool if we could team up one day in the future as two users of the Body Flicker." A chibi image of a future Jun and Shisui rose in his mind, the two of them with spinning Sharigan years and flickering bodies working in perfect harmony made him smile dreamily. "Yeah, I'll teach you when you get better and a little older, okay?"

"Shisui." A voice called and both Uchiha looked towards the source.

Jun blinked at the two figures, taking in the two boys who he believed had to be brothers.

_[[Then again, you can never be too sure with this family.]]_ Ike grumbled and Jun couldn't help but agree and he was glad that he didn't have the inky hair that the majority of Uchiha had because everyone had the possibility of being the same person in this family as far as looks were concerned. _[[Your mother gave you good genes, Jun.]]_

"Itachi!" Shisui beamed as he approached the new pair. "And little Sasuke too, huh? What're you two doing out so late?"

_[[Itachi... And Sasuke...]] _Ike breathed and Jun wondered why his friend sounded so worried, angry and grim all at once.

The one named Itachi held up a plastic bag with vegetables. "Mother asked me to run to the store and buy some things. Sasuke wanted to come with me." His inscrutable gaze slid over to Jun's form which was up off the ground and clinging to Shisui. "Who is that?"

Shisui's beaming face lit up even brighter and he planted a hand on Jun's chestnut locks. "_This_ is my little cousin, Jun!" He said proudly, making a flush rise in the mentioned one's cheeks. "Jun, this is Itachi. He's a close friend of mine."

"H-hello...!" Jun bleated out as he clung to Shisui, feeling a mixture of timidness (_Itachi was kind of scary-looking..._) and jealousy (_Jun__ wanted to be his Shishi's closest friend!_). "It's, um, nice to meet you!"

Itachi's eyes searched his face for a moment before he nodded and inclined his head towards the little one clinging to his hand not holding the groceries. "This is my little brother, Sasuke."

Sasuke's lips pursed slightly as he took in Shisui and his little cousin, Jun, probably thinking something similar as Jun, but his expression softened into a shy smile and a flush as he ducked behind his brother, peeking from behind the elder's back. "Hello... It's nice to meet you too."

"Aw, how _cute_!" Shisui gushed goofily, pinching Jun's chubby cheeks and making him blush even brighter in embarrassment. "They get along! Looks like we'll have a little clone duo, huh, Itachi?"

Itachi blinked slowly as he considered Shisui's words before he nodded just as slowly, his lips quirking up slightly at the corners. "Perhaps, we will, Shisui."

_[[I hope not...]]_ Ike whispered lowly as memories of bloodied tears, bitter smiles and broken promises surfaced.

* * *

**.**

* * *

Once Jun had turned six, Academy classes were back in session and it was his first day of school only a few days after his birthday.

He walked between the imposing figure of his father and the kindness that was his mother as they entered the crowded courtyard of the Academy. The children were shuffled into the building that looked too small on the outside but was very large on the inside and he clung to his parents' hand tightly before he was ushered to an area that seated all the new students.

As he sat next to a chubby kid with swirls on his cheeks and a kid whose face was obscured by their jacket collar and glasses, Jun fidgeted in anxiousness as the old man, the Third Hokage, stepped up and began to address all in the vicinity. He told about his hopes regarding the new generation and about the Will of Fire and how he could see the flames burning brightly in the eyes of each and every child and, when he was through, there was a short, polite round of applauds before the teachers began to call their roster one by one.

_[[Don't worry, Jun. You're not alone.]]_ Jun could hear the smile in Ike's voice as his name was called and he followed along with the rest of his classmates after a man with silver hair, dark eyes and a gentle smile.

_[[Don't be fooled by appearances...]]_ Ike said softly and Jun went to question him but he became absorbed in trying to get to the seat he wanted without being run over by the other children and, when he was seated, his teacher, Mizuki-sensei urged the children to stand, state their name and tell a little something about themselves before sitting down again.

It started in the back with a boy with thick eyebrows, an exuberant personality and a name that was Rock Lee and it continued on with the other students but Jun tuned them out when Ike began talking about different recipes, only stopping briefly when a chorus a feminine sighs interrupted their conversation when the white-eyed boy with long hair sat back down.

When it was his turn, he stood with a small gulp and a blush burning his cheeks. _[[Dazzle them with your charms, Jun!]]_ Ike jeered and Jun inwardly nodded as he smiled his best smile.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Jun Uchiha and I like training with my cousin and cooking. I hope that we'll all get along together!" He beamed brightly and Ike _swore_ he could see sparkles and a hazy pink background behind the young boy.

There was a pregnant pause as Jun sat down and he wondered if he'd done something wrong until half the female population began squealing and giggling. Jun smiled at his accomplishment of a good introduction and Ike could only shake his non-existent head.

_[[How early do girls become interested in boys in this world...?]] _Ike sighed in exasperation at Jun's oblivious grin.

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**A/N: **Yay, the second chapter and we get to see Shisui, Itachi, Sasuke _and_ get a glimpse of Lee and Neji! I spoil you guys :]


	3. Chapter III

**Disclaimer:** The only things that I own is this story's plot and any OCs that appear throughout the story. The characters of _Naruto _belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I make absolutely no money.

* * *

**Remembrances of Flames - Chapter Three **

**~-{R.o.F}-~**

"H-hello. U-um, would you like to eat lunch together?"

Tenten blinked widely as she gazed up from her lunch box. Her head tilted to the side as her brain worked, trying to remember the boy's name. He fidgeted a bit under her scrutinizing gaze and he bit his bottom lip when her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes narrowed.

His name was... It was Jun, wasn't it? Yeah, that was his name. Jun Uchiha. The girls in class who weren't always harping on about that Neji kid was always harping on about Jun—it was always either one or the other. The girls in their class were divided on which of the two boys were better: Neji's fangirls thought that the boy's aloofness and superiority in taijutsu was the greatest while Jun's fangirl's preferred his friendliness and talent in genjutsu.

Tenten...would rather not deal with either one of them. Granted, she would rather deal with Jun over Neji...but Jun's fangirls were a bit more vicious than Neji's, surprisingly. It was kind of like a 50-50 deal in the way that she wasn't annoyed by the boy himself but his groupies that followed.

"U-um...!"

Tenten snapped out of her thoughts, blinking widely again. She couldn't just tell him to leave—that would be rude—and her grandfather taught her manners. Instead, she nodded silently and scooted over to make room. He sent her a beaming smile, plopped down next to the girl and whipped out his own lunch box. She watched him for a few seconds, waiting for some girl to jump out and attack her and, when none did, she broke apart her chopsticks, muttered a small "Itadakimasu" and popped the first bite into her mouth.

"Y-you're Tenten, right?" His voice was small, hesitant, and Tenten nodded her head in affirmation. "Well, I'm, uh, Jun Uchiha. It's nice to meet you."

An awkward silence followed his statement and Tenten had to suppress the grimace that threatened to overtake her face. He must've been bad at introductions or something. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, watching curiously at how his lips would move slightly or how his eyebrows would furrow or how his head would shake slightly, as if refusing some internal thoughts. She figured he was trying to find something to say.

Tenten shrugged slightly, turning her thoughts to how she needed to find some more fish to practice medical ninjutsu on later that afternoon. She couldn't keep going to the pet store because she was running out of allowance (and the cashier kept looking at her funny). That meant she'd have to catch them on her own from somewhere...

"You're...really good at shurikenjutsu." A pause. "How did you get so good at it?"

She shrugged lightly before responding, "I don't know." Her eyebrows knitted together. "I just aim at the targets and they usually land in the middle."

"Oh." Before the awkwardness could settle, he spoke again, "I see you sometimes...practicing medical ninjutsu. Do...you have trouble with it?"

Her head snapped up at his words. How was he able to see her practicing? Granted, she stopped practicing in her room due to the resulting smell of dead fish but she made sure that she was in a relatively private area (somewhere next to the river that ran through Konoha but no one hardly ever came that way, only a few dark-haired people now and again). Not because she was embarrassed of her dreams—she'd tell anyone willing to listen she wanted to be like Lady Tsunade, the greatest kunoichi in the shinobi world—but, at the same time, Tenten didn't quite like the scrutiny of others on her while she was training.

...Especially after witnessing that Neji put down kid with the thick eyebrows. Rock Lee, she recalled his name was. Neji was particularly brutal with him and, even though he never smiled, Tenten just _knew_ Neji liked tearing down whatever confidence Lee had managed to build up. Lee was a good one, though, as he never seemed to be fazed by Neji's words.

"How do you know that?" Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Do you... Do you _stalk _me?"

He recoiled back, cheeks burning brightly at her accusation. "N-no! I just... My cousin and I were coming back from training one day and I saw you near the river next to our compound!" He looked down at his half-eaten lunch, missing the alarmed look on Tenten's face. "You were concentrating really hard and, then, I remembered that you said you wanted to be like Lady Tsunade and she's the greatest medic-nin in the nations so I... I just assumed..."

The only thought that ran through her head was that...someone actually _listened _to her when she spoke about her dreams? It honestly felt as if she were talking to thin air when it came to her classmates. Everyone seemed to be so absorbed with something else or themselves that it almost made it seem that no one realized she was even there...

Like she almost didn't exist...

"Tenten-san? Did... Did I say something wrong?"

"Huh? N-no!" She took a small breath before smiling. "Y-you didn't say anything wrong." She paused. "Jun-kun. You didn't say anything wrong, Jun-kun. Can I call you that? Jun-kun, I mean." She didn't really know why she kept repeating his name like that (It was probably so she wouldn't forget it again, to be honest). Was she giddy that someone had paid attention to her? Which was kind of weird because she _thought_ that she didn't really care that much but—

He stared at her for a long moment before that beaming smile surfaced onto his face. "Y-yeah! You can call me that and...and could I call you, Ten-chan? Maybe?"

A little too girly for her tastes but...

She nodded regardless. "Yeah, Jun-kun and Ten-chan. Friends?"

Jun made a soft noise of happiness and his cheeks pinked. "Yeah, friends. Thank you for being my first girl friend, Ten-chan!"

...

And, suddenly, the hairs on the back of her neck were starting to stand on end...

Tenten would probably have to be careful around Jun's fangirls in her class. She had the distinct feeling that they weren't going to be very fond of her in the coming years...

**~-{R.o.F}-~**

"Momma~!"

The Uchiha housewife felt a smile form as she saw her little boy emerge from the congregation of children and guardians. He smacked into her—albeit a lot less roughly as he did with his cousin—and hugged her around the waist tightly before pulling back to stare up at her with gleaming eyes. Nene gave his spiky hair a tender pat, noting minutely that it was in need of a trim, lest he wanted it to snag while he was training.

"—id you hear me, Momma?" Jun said in excitement. "I said I made a new friend today."

"Oh?" That was good. She was worried that her baby would never have any friends other than his cousin. "Where is he?"

Jun's face twisted into one of confusion. "_He_?" He blinked at her before covering his mouth with both hands to hide his giggling. "My new friend's not a boy, Momma. Ten-chan's a _girl_!"

"Oh, that's nice." _Wait._ "What?"

Before she could respond any further, Jun turned away and pulled someone from the crowd. Nene watched, completely flabbergasted, as a small girl around Jun's height appeared next to his side, her hand clasped snugly in Jun's and eyes steadily on the ground.

"Momma, this is Tenten! She lets me call her Ten-chan, though!" Jun announced happily.

"It's, um, nice to meet you, ma'am." The small girl, Tenten, bowed deeply. "I-I hope you don't mind me being friends with Jun-kun."

"Oh!" Jun smiled even brighter (if that was even possible). "She's my first girl friend, too!"

Nene felt herself choking on spit as her little boy's words registered in her brain and she missed the glare Tenten gave her baby and the confused expression he gave her in return.

_Girlfriend_!? Her mind shrieked over the sound of her heart shattering into a million pieces.

Her baby was too young to have a girlfriend! No, she would _not _allow such happenings while she was alive and kicking! Jun may have liked this..._Tenten_ (Nene ignored the way her mind spat out the little girl's name, as if it were a poison) but he would soon realize that having a girlfriend wasn't as great as it seemed! Girls were still supposed to have cooties so sweet boys like Jun wouldn't be tempted to interact with them until they were much, _much_ older!

She couldn't accept this! No! Nene would not accept this! She—

"Momma?"

Nene recovered instantaneously (no doubt, thanks to her years as a ninja) as she realized Jun was watching, waiting for her words of appraisal. She donned her amiable countenance, smiling prettily down at the girl. "It's nice to meet you too, Ten-chan. I hope my little boy hasn't been too much of a bother."

"N-no, not at all!" The girl said quickly, shaking her head to further the notion. "He's been really nice to me so..."

"Well, that's very nice." She said as energetically as she possibly could while snagging Jun's free hand and using it to tug the boy to her side. "I'm glad to have met you, Ten-chan but Jun is late for an appointment with someone else."

"I am?"

"Yes, you are." Nene affirmed, tugging him a little closer to her side and away from the young girl as she smiled brightly. "We really _must _be going, Ten-chan. Jun will see you tomorrow."

_Preferably not. _Her mind spat out as her smile twitched at the corners.

"O-oh, okay." The little girl's voice was quiet as she waved her hand and Nene felt bad..._until_ her sweet Jun had to say something.

"Ah! Don't worry, Ten-chan! I'll make lots of food for us to eat together tomorrow! Okay?" Jun didn't resist as the Uchiha housewife dragged him along behind her. "Okay? Bye~!"

"U-uh, okay?" The girl sounded slightly confused but happy nonetheless. "Tomorrow, then...! Bye, Jun-kun!"

It took all Nene had to swallow the sobs of despair as she hoped Mikoto would accept a playdate offer between little Sasuke and her little Jun.

**~-{R.o.F}-~**

Jun fidgeted slightly as he nibbled on the onigiri Mikoto-san had given him.

He didn't really understand.

His momma had said that he had somewhere to be but she had never told him about it. Then, they hadn't even _gone_ anywhere that day! Plus, she wouldn't let him in the kitchen to make stuff for him and Ten-chan so he had to wait until _really_ late that night to make some stuff. Thanks to Ike-nii, he was able to without burning any of his food—or the house.

(Father sort of helped too. He stumbled into the kitchen while Jun had on the burner, got a glass of water and stumbled back to his room to sleep—all without saying _anything_ or telling Momma!)

Now, he was over Mikoto-san's house, sitting with Sasuke and he didn't really know what to say. He wasn't very good with talking to people except his momma and Shishi and now Ten-chan and sorta his father but everyone else was so _hard_.

What was there to talk about?

_Ike-nii, what should I say!?_ His eyes kept darting over to the other quiet boy. _I don't know what to do...!_

_[[Calm down, Jun.]]_ Ike reassuring voice said softly. _[[Talk about...school. Tell him about your studies and stuff like that.]]_

_O-okay. If you say so._ Jun took in a breath before smiling. "U-um, s-so when do you start at the Academy, Sasuke-kun?"

The raven-haired boy blinked. "Next year, I think." His eyebrows furrowed. "I haven't started clan training yet so I hope I don't fall behind." His face fell somewhat. "Father is always too busy with Nii-san these days..."

Jun made a sound of curiosity. "You haven't started yet? My father started training me when I was two." He twiddled his thumbs as he looked down into his lap. "But, not too often. Shishi-nii—erm, my cousin Shisui—helps me train a lot."

Sasuke gasped softly in amazement before his lips turned down into a pout. "No fair...! Nii-san barely even spends time with me...!" His head dropped and Ike _swore_ he saw a little cloud of depression form over the raven-haired boy's head.

_[[Huh. That's a new one. You barely even said anything and he's already depressed.]]_ Ike snickered but quickly turned it into a cough at the upset look marring Jun's face. _[[Aw, don't make that face, Jun!]]_

_But, Ike-nii! I don't want to make him sad!_

_[[Then just...try to relate to him, I guess?]]_

_Huh?_

_[[Look, just say...]]_

Jun nodded slightly as he listened to his intangible friend's words. After a few short seconds, Jun stood from his perch while wiping his hands off on his pants. He placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder and, when the boy looked up, he tried to give him the most reassuring smile he could muster.

"Well, Shishi-nii goes off a lot and there are times when I don't see him for _weeks_. When that happens, I try to learn a new move or get better at one I already know so, when he comes home, he'll be proud of me!"

"W-wha—"

"So, maybe I can show you something that I've been learning in the Academy. Okay?" Jun grinned brightly. "When your big brother comes home, you'll be able to show him something really cool!"

Sasuke remained silent for a few moments, his eyes wide for some reason. Jun was a bit scared that he'd said something bad and that Ike-nii was wrong but then Sasuke's face turned a little pink and a smile eventually covered his face. He hopped up from his seat, hands balled up into fists and a look of determination evident in his eyes.

"Y-yeah!" He pumped his fists. "I'll learn something awesome and then Nii-san will _have _to pay attention to me...!"

Jun hummed in agreement but stopped as Ike-nii's voice chimed in, _[[I hate to burst your little bubble but __**what**__ exactly are you going to show him? You're terrible at taijutsu and everything you __**are**__ good at requires chakra.]]_

The chestnut-haired boy squeaked a little and covered his mouth with both hands, though it went unnoticed by Sasuke, who was too wrapped up in his own little fantasy that consisted of thoughts of Itachi lavishing him with praise. Jun grimaced lightly, letting his hands fall a little as he whispered out, "What do I do...!?"

_[[Now, now, Jun. Don't panic. Just show him something that'll get his mind off his brother not being home often.]]_ Ike drawled and Jun nodded as he thought of the perfect thing.

"Okay, Sasuke-kun." Jun took a few steps back as his hands pressed together into the tiger seal. "This is what I've been working on to show Shishi-nii."

His eyes closed as he summoned up a bit of chakra, letting the energy coarse through him before expelling it all at once. There was a loud _'poof'_ and...

It was hard to describe how his body felt—like something was pulling him, sucking him in and spitting him out. He squeaked as he skidded on the ground and bumped into something solid and he coughed a bit as he waved away the smoke his attempted jutsu produced.

"Muh? Were you trying to Body Flicker, Jun?"

The chestnut-haired boy balked at the familiar voice. His head snapped upwards, eyes widening as he took in his cousin's crossed arms and cocked eyebrow. Jun was stuck between feeling elated, embarrassed, shocked or ashamed.

He settled for feeling a mixture of all four and sheepishly bleated out, "Shishi-nii?"

"Nii-san!? When did you get back!?" Sasuke's voice was a little high-pitched and Jun didn't have to look to see that Sasuke's brother was there too.

He really couldn't look anywhere else even if he tried. To see Shishi-nii looking down at him with such a look of..._disappointment_ made tears threaten to well up in his eyes. He _never_ wanted him to look at him like that...!

"Really, Jun. I thought you knew better than that." He sighed theatrically while shaking his head. "Using chakra without supervision? I can't—

A whimper fell from Jun's lips as his hand clutched at his heart. "I-I...I only wanted you to be _p-proud_ of me, Shishi-nii." He sniffed loudly, wiping at his eyes with his shirt sleeve. "Y-you're hardly ever around anymore so...so..." His lips pursed as he tried to stop the sobs that threatened to burst from his mouth. "I j-just wanted t-to ma-ake you h-h-happy...!"

"A-ah—" Shisui recoiled back violently, guilt gnawing at his heart at the pitiful sight. "J-Jun...!"

"Hey! Don't yell at him, Shisui-san!" Sasuke said angrily as he stooped down next to Jun to comfort him. "He was only trying to make _you_ happy!" Sasuke gave Jun's head a tender pat as he said in what he thought was a hushed voice, "Don't cry, Jun-kun! Shisui's just a big _meanie.._!" He sent the elder Uchiha a glare.

Shisui yelped indignantly. "H-hey! I'm only trying to keep him safe!" He turned towards the silent Itachi. "C'mon, Itachi! Help me out here!"

Itachi watched him for a few moments before he slowly shook his head. "I didn't expect you to be such a big meanie, Shisui. He didn't hurt anyone and we were nearby the whole time." He ignored the curly-haired shinobi's sound of agitation as he kneeled down next to Jun. "Don't worry, Jun. People like him are _heartless_." Itachi narrowed his eyes. "Shame on you, Shisui. Shame. On. You."

"W-what the—" Shisui waved his hands around in a panic as he broke down. "Wait! I'm not a bad guy!" He quickly dragged Jun into a tight hug as tears streamed down his cheeks. "Don't cry, Jun! Shishi-nii's _sorry_! He didn't mean to hurt your feelings! Shishi-nii's _so_ proud of you!"

Jun sniffled, his large eyes gleaming with uncertainty. "R-really...?"

Shisui's cheeks flushed as he nodded rapidly. "Y-yeah! I was just a little upset because you could've hurt yourself, Jun." He rubbed his cheek against his little cousin's. "B-but it made Shishi-nii _really _happy to see you do that!"

"A-are you s-s-sure?"

"Yeah!" He grinned as he ruffled Jun's hair. "So don't cry, okay? Wipe away those tears and give me a smile."

The chestnut-haired boy nodded. He gave his cousin the biggest smile he could summon before pressing his face into Shisui's chest.

"A-ah, Jun! _Don't blow your nose on my shirt!_"

**~-{R.o.F}-~**

Sometimes, Ike hated himself.

He was horrid.

Disgusting.

Vile.

_Evil_.

It was difficult watching the two of them, Jun and Shisui. To see the love between them like that. To see them interacting so happily and familial with each other, as if nothing was wrong in the world. As if they had forever to act like that.

As if the village wasn't planning on killing all with the Uchiha surname.

...

Shisui had been little more than a plot device in his world, yet everyone he knew that watched the series had _loved_ him. Ike wondered why.

Now he knew.

There were times when Shisui would look so _tired_, as if he had the entire weight of the world on his shoulders, but would plaster such a cheerful, energetic smile on his face whenever Jun was around.

His eyes would light up when Nene gave him lunches and gentle pats on the head.

His lips would curve into crooked, almost forced smiles whenever Shinobu would congratulate him for successful clan missions.

His face would darken at the mention of his deceased mother and father.

Shisui was a _human_. He was a person that existed and he had feelings, mannerisms, fears and hopes. He was _human._

And he was willing to risk it all for a village who didn't even trust the family he belonged to.

Shisui had been such an unappreciated character—_person_, Ike reaffirmed—and, to see this man willing to give his all like that, made Ike's respect for Shisui magnify by infinity.

It made him _sick_ sometimes.

He had the knowledge. He _knew_ what was going to happen.

But he was a coward.

His voice would catch whenever Shisui would disappear for weeks at a time and Jun would ponder where his beloved "Shishi-nii" had gone. Ike would always wait with bated breath, to hear that one sentence that would mark the downfall of the Uchiha.

_"Shisui Uchiha is dead."_

He didn't want to have to think about how he'd been lying to Jun since the day that he was born. Ike didn't want to think about how when Shisui dies, Jun and Nene and Shinobu would be following right after him.

Ike didn't want to hear those words; they marked the end of everything he'd grown to know over the past six years.

Then, he would be back in the darkness and Jun would be there with him.

He didn't want that.

...But, it would be his own fault for being so scared.

...

Sometimes, Ike hated himself.

* * *

**.**

* * *

**Author's Note:** Ha! I finally updated this. It took months and months but I've finally done it~! *insert evil cackle* Ahem.

I thought Jun having Tenten as a little friend was a cute idea. She's one of those unappreciated characters who deserve some love. She's also Jun's first "girl friend"—the space between the two words is _very_ important in telling the difference. Lol. I hope it's evident but Jun can't interact well with others without Ike's intervention; that'll most likely be a problem that'll need to be addressed in the story.

I'm having trouble deciding if Shisui should live or die. Both scenarios present interesting outcomes... I guess we'll eventually find out.

Ah, I hope the honorifics aren't annoying as I sort of just added them out of nowhere. They only really show up Jun's POV and I used them to convey as sort of...childishness to his character—like, even though he's housing the spirit of a twenty five year old in his head, he's still a little kid at heart and refers to certain people with pet names and such. If it's bothersome, I'll go back and edit them out :)

Well, I'll see you guys the next time I update. Unfortunately, I don't know when that'll be but I thank you guys for the reviews and the follows and faves~! It warms my heart when I get them~!


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